Safety seal for bottles and the like



Dec. 31, 1940.

F. CAZENAVE SAFETY SEAL FOR BOTTLES AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 15, 1939 ghwmm Patented Dec. 31, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE Application August 15, 1939, SerialNo. 290,326 In Argentina January 18, 1939 3 Claims.

This invention refers to improvements in safety seals for bottles and the like, and substantially has for object a novel safety device particularly adapted for eifectively preventing bottles and other containers in general from being refilled with fraudulent purposes.

Owing to its convenient features of construction and operation, its conditions of safety and, above all, its low cost, the improved safety device which forms the object of this invention, ofiers considerable adantages over the sealing devices of similar type heretofore proposed and used for the said purpose.

The invention also views other objects which will be referred to in the course of this specification.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and carried into practice without difficulty, a preferred embodiment of the improved safety seal has been shown by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 shows a View in perspective of one of the parts which constitute the improved sealing device.

Figure 2 is a view in perspective of the valve carrying part, designed to cooperate with the part shown in the foregoing figure.

Figure 3 shows a cross sectional elevation on the line .A-A of the entire sealing device, mounted in position and applied to the neck of a bottle, and

Figure 4 is another view in cross section on the line B-B of the foregoing figure, illustrating the manner of discharging the contents from the container,

In all the said views, the same numbers of reference have been used to indicate like or corresponding parts.

In the embodiment shown, the improved safety seal which forms the object of the invention, substantially consists of two body parts namely the cap and base sections l and 2, of a suitable rigid material not liable to be corroded by the contents of the bottle or other container, which are arranged axially one above the other so as to form together a single body, adapted to be applied within the neck 3 of a bottle, in the manner of a common stopper.

Said body part or cap section I is formed at two diametrically opposite points on its periphery with one or more vertical grooves or channels 4 which extend along the entire height of the same and communicate one with another by means of a diametrical groove 5, formed on the lower face of said body part; with reference to Figure 1 it will also be seen that from the central part of said groove 5 and perpendicularly thereto, a number of radial grooves 6 extend preferably to the periphery of the body part I.

The lower body part or base section 2 of the device is provided, in'turn, with a duct or hole I which extends vertically through the same in an eccentric position with regard to the axis of said part, being formed at its upper end with a funnel shaped enlargement 8, designed to serve as a seat for a small ball 9 which operates as a valve by applying against the mouth or entrance of said duct 1.

The body parts I and 2, just described, are joined in an axial relation by any suitable means, so as to cause the eccentric valve 9 to correspond with the position of the radial grooves 6, as shown in detail in Figure 4, and the conjoint forming a single structure, may then be applied in the manner of a stopper, to the mouth of the neck 3 of a bottle, to which it is conveniently affixed by a suitable cement or other means, so as to prevent its removal therefrom. In order to facilitate the afiixing of the seal by the use of cement, a small longitudinal ridge may be formed along one or several generatrixes of the bodies 1 and 2, adapted to fit into a corresponding number of recesses of similar shape, formed on the inner face of the neck 3, or vice-versa, and after cementing together the said parts, the removal of the sealing device will effectively be prevented.

When the bottle is in its normal position, the value 9 will occupy its lowermost position, as shown in detail in Figure 3, and thus maintain the outlet of the duct 1 perfectly obturated. When it is desired to remove under these conditions part or all of the contents from the bottle or other container, it will be sufficient to invert the position of the same, whereupon the valve 9 will open by the action of its own weight and that of the liquid and will rest against the edges of the radial grooves 6, as shown in Figure 4. The liquid will then be allowed to flow out freely by the duct 1 and the chamber 8, thence following the radial grooves 6 and continuing its flow in a diverging direction by the grooves 5 and will finally issue by the grooves or channels 4, as indicated by the arrows in Figures 3 and 4 (the former showing the device in its inverted position).

If the replenishment of the container, with a fraudulent purpose, should be attempted, by holding the same in its inverted position in order to keep the valve 9 in its open position and injecting, under these conditions, a liquid under pressure by one of the lateral grooves or channels 4 of the body part I, it will at once be seen that said liquid will continue to fiow by the channel or groove 5 and issue by the opposite groove 4, but will not penetrate into the interior of the container, as to that end it would have to overcome the pressure prevailing therein; on the other hand, when maintaining the container in its normal position, the attempt of replenishing the same will fail still more thoroughly, as in that case, the valve 9 will remain closed and thus completely obturate the mouth of the duct 1.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that by this improved safety seal, besides of its condition of being inviolable, offers the important advantage of its very simple construction and, in consequence, of a low cost which allows the same to be applied to any kind of containers.

From the above description, the nature of this invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, so that further explanations are deemed unnecessary. I

It will be evident that several changes might be introduced in the arrangement and details without departing from the scope of the invention which be clearly set forth in the final claims.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A non-refillable bottle stopper, including, in

combination with the bottle neck, cap and base sections of annular form fitted into said neck, said sections having plane abutting inner surfaces, a valve disposed eccentrically of the axis of the base section and including a flared valve seat and a ball, said cap section having opposite passages extending longitudinally throughout the length of its outer periphery which fits against the inner side of the bottle neck, said cap section also provided, at its inner surface, with a diametrically disposed passage connecting said first mentioned passages and with a radial passage having one end communicating with said diametrically disposed passage and having its other end communicating with said valve.

2. A non-refillable bottle stopper, including, in combination with the bottle neck, cap and base sections of annular form fitted into said neck, said sections having plane fiushly abutting inner faces, a ball valve disposed eccentrically of the axis of the base section and the cap section having opposite side passages adjacent the inner side of the neck and connected by a cross passage in the inner face of said cap section, said inner face of the cap section also having a passage angularly disposed relative to the said cross passage and communicating with the outlet of the eccentrically located ball valve.

3. A non-refillable bottle stopper in accordance with claim 1 wherein all of the passages in the cap section include a plurality of longitudinal ribs.

FERNANDO CAZENAVE. 

